In the area of merchandising, the use of point-of-sale (POS) terminals has greatly increased to provide fast and efficient service to the customers. Such POS terminals are found in various industries such as gasoline service stations, department stores, supermarkets, restaurants, motels, and like businesses wherein credit cards are commonly utilized for customer and product information. More recently, the POS systems have been connected in on-line manner between individual shops or remote areas of a department store and an associated computer center. Further, a system may be directly connected in such on-line manner between the shops or areas and a computer center of a credit service agency to check the good faith of the credit card holder. Still further, such system may be connected between the shops and a bank computer center over telephone lines for the purpose of paying the product price directly from the customer's account.
In paying for products by such methods with the credit (or debit) cards, some systems require that the customer input certain personal information, for example, a personal identification number (PI number or PIN), for the purpose of verifying whether or not the holder of the card is in fact the owner thereof. In order to maintain secrecy of the PIN and like customer data or information, it is also desirable that the card holder or card owner input such information rather than a store clerk or bank teller or like employee.
It is known in the prior art that a PIN input device has been connected to a POS terminal over a cable to permit entry of the input information by the customer. Further it is known that a PIN input device can be physically separated from the terminal or register and the data is transmitted by means of light emitting signals. The PIN input device thus converts successively input figures or characters (the PIN) into light emitting signals for sending to a light receiving section provided on the terminal or register. The light emitting signals are received by the terminal or register and are converted again into electrical signals so that it is not necessary to use a cable for connecting between the PIN input device and the register.
It is seen that in the conventional devices noted above, a disadvantage occurs when a customer is not familiar with or accustomed to the input operation of the PIN data or information and much time is taken or wasted for inputting such data or information with the result that a sales counter becomes crowded or jammed because it is necessary to mate or match the operation of the POS terminal or register with the time of input of the data or information by the customer. While a customer may purchase an item and pay cash at a sales counter remote from a POS terminal, it is necessary for the customer to go to the sales counter having a card handling function in order to input the customer information for a charge purchase. Accordingly, the conventional systems have the disadvantage in that customer service is less convenient in department stores or large supermarkets having remote sales areas.
Representative prior art in the field of credit transaction systems includes U.S. Pat. No. 3,571,957, issued to P. N. Cumming et al. on Mar. 23, 1971, which discloses a credit card insertable into a viewer for enlarging card indicia and projecting same on a display, and including keyboard means permitting entry of additional indicia for calling upon the central computer to condition the operation for transactions against a specified account.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,728,522, issued to D. Norwich on Apr. 17, 1973, discloses a credit transaction system for use with cards and sales records wherein recorded information may include identification of the card holder, the transaction, the location, and the value transacted for processing by a computing facility.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,123,747, issued to D. C. Lancto on Oct. 31, 1978, discloses a system having an administrative terminal and one or more inquiry terminals connected to a computer with personal identification key pads connected to the terminals.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,295,039, issued to P. E. Stuckert on Oct. 31, 1981, discloses a system including use of a credit card operable with a utilization (U/I) terminal wherein the card is inserted into a personal portable transaction (XATR) terminal and such portable terminal is then inserted into the U/I terminal. The XATR terminal contains a keyboard for entering the card holder's data.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,418,277, issued to H. Tremmel et al. on Nov. 29, 1983, discloses apparatus including a number of physically separated receiving/transmitting units coupled to a data processor to permit use within a large region or to permit use simultaneously. A keyboard may be coupled to the apparatus.
U.S. application Ser. No. 685,622, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,689,478, issued to Hale et al and assigned to the same assignee as this application.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,634,845, issued to Hale et al, and assigned to the same assignee as this application.